Abstract (Pilot and Feasibility Program) The goal of the Indiana Diabetes Research Center (IDRC) Pilot and Feasibility Program is to provide pilot funding for projects that have outstanding potential to open an area of diabetes-related research to both new and established investigators in diverse scientific disciplines at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) and Purdue University (Purdue). The Pilot and Feasibility Program will foster the development of a community of productive, well-connected investigators whose work leads to advances in the treatment of diabetes and its complications. The IDRC Pilot and Feasibility program has identified areas of scientific strength at the affiliated institutions that might be leveraged to open new and promising investigations. Specifically, the aims of the Pilot and Feasibility Program are: (1): To solicit, review, and fund Pilot and Feasibility grants. These grants will be provided to outstanding beginning and established investigators at IUSM and Purdue whose expertise is complimentary to areas of strength within the IDRC membership, whose research has a high probability of benefiting from use of the IDRC core facilities, and for whom such funding may result in acquisition of major peer-reviewed grants. (2): To provide mentorship/support for recipients of Pilot and Feasibility grants. The goal of these relationships will be to provide a source of intellectual support and critique during the project period to facilitate the application of the grantee's scientific expertise to an area of investigation that is new to them. These relationships will also encourage future collaboration between investigators receiving Pilot and Feasibility grants and the other members of the IDRC. Successful execution of this plan will result in new independent investigators focused on solving problems related to diabetes and complications of diabetes, a stronger diabetes research community in Indiana, and scientific discoveries that may lead to new treatment strategies for people with diabetes.